Victorian duck shooting inquiry – how to make your voice count!

UPDATE: The public submission period for this Inquiry has now closed.

Thank you to the many thousands of caring Victorians who took the time to speak out for native waterbirds by making a submission. These are now in the process of being formally accepted by the Select Committee, with public hearings scheduled to start on the 26th of May. In the meantime, please continue to contact your state MP and if you live outside of Victoria, you will find more information and ways to help native waterbirds here.

The Victorian Government is conducting an Inquiry into the recreational shooting of ducks and quail.

This is the result of almost four decades of advocacy by animal protection groups, wildlife rescuers and the broader community who have relentlessly called on the government to end the cruelty for good. This is the closest we have ever come to seeing an end to duck shooting for good.

If you live in Victoria and care about animals, the environment and our precious wildlife — then we need your voice for ducks once more – hopefully for the very last time!

Some tips on making your submission count for waterbirds

The Inquiry process is a relatively simple one. This is the time for you to recall every email you have ever sent to your MP in opposition to ‘recreational’ shooting or every conversation you have had with friends and family about why we need to end duck shooting, and send it in the form of a submission.

Key points you may consider raising are that duck and quail shooting is:

• Inherently and unavoidably cruel
• Damaging to native waterbird and quail populations and the environment
• Dangerous and distressing for those living in regional communities.

This article is full of information about duck shooting Victoria, and may be helpful to guide you when making a submission. Please ensure that you put your submission in your own words so that it has maximum impact.

How does the Parliamentary Inquiry process work?

The Parliamentary committee is made up of 9 Members of the Legislative Council who have been selected to deliberate a broad range of elements (terms of reference) relating to recreational shooting. We have been assured that animal cruelty is applicable as part of these terms.

The committee will hold public hearings as part of this Inquiry and will call upon key stakeholders from not just the animal protection sector, but also from shooting associations and regional communities, to give evidence.

We expect Animals Australia will be called upon as part of this process and we will participate on behalf of every waterbird at risk of being killed in future, and of course, on your behalf, too.

The process will be relatively quick. Submissions close on the 8th of May.

A final report is due to be tabled in the Legislative Council by 31 August 2023. The full details of the Inquiry and the Committees can be found here.

We are so close…

We know it feels like we have been pointing out the same cruelty and calling for an end to duck shooting for years – we have. But please help us channel our collective desire for a safer future for ducks right now, so that they are given the strongest possible representation during this historic process.